


A Trade-Off

by BastRavenshadow



Category: xXx (2002)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 06:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3317606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BastRavenshadow/pseuds/BastRavenshadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course, if Xander and Yelena didn't save the world, there would be no hope for either of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Trade-Off

**Author's Note:**

> Written in June 2006.

Ivan Podrov sighed as he rose from the bed he shared with his lover. "Come on, get up."

A grunt was the only answer he received, so he went ahead and got ready to go to work. It would likely be another long day, and he needed to fortify himself with coffee before facing it.

Finally, his lover came out of their shared bedroom, dropped a kiss on the top of his head and took some cheese and eggs out of the refrigerator to make them breakfast. 

Ivan looked up from his newspaper. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Wonder what the American agent will be like," Ivan said as he shredded cheese to add to their eggs. 

"Who knows?" Ivan folded his newspaper and watched his other half cook. "You can never tell with Americans."

Ivan laughed and put a plate of eggs in front of his lover, kissing his bald spot again. "Eat, Drahá. You need to keep up your strength."

"I don't recall it was me that fell asleep first last night," Ivan said with a short laugh, taking a drink of his coffee. 

Ivan just shrugged and grinned as he sat down next to his lover to eat breakfast.

++++

"Yo... what's your name, slick?"

Ivan manoeuvred the car through the streets of Prague. "My name is Ivan."

Xander nodded. "Ivan? What's your name, buddy?" 

Ivan Pedgrag looked back at the American. " **My**  name is Ivan." He glanced at his older lover, keeping a straight face.

Xander blinked. "You're both Ivan?"

They didn't answer, but Ivan Podrov laughed silently to himself at the American's confusion as he pulled up outside the dump that they were giving the American to sleep in.

++++

Life certainly was more exciting with Xander Cage getting the ball rolling against Yorgi. It seemed they'd accomplished more in the short time that he'd been here in Prague than they'd been able to do in two years or so. They'd even been named 'The Ivans' by the big American, which they'd rather liked.

Everything was moving relatively smoothly when the unthinkable happened. Yorgi shot Ivan, dropping the older man into the water, his younger lover only able to call his name and impotently feel wrath building inside him, knowing that Yorgi was getting away and would likely never be called to task for shooting Ivan.

Xander looked at Ivan floating face down in the water and his eyes narrowed, rushing over to the closing door, firing at the criminal in the boat while Ivan and his compatriots pulled Ivan out of the water. 

Xander managed to shoot Yorgi, but it didn't take away Ivan Pedgrag's anger, his rage, his impotent fear.

Ivan held Ivan close while they waited for medical attention as Xander and Yelena ran up the steps. Xander squeezed Ivan's shoulder sympathetically once before he rushed away.

Of course, if Xander and Yelena didn't save the world, there would be no hope for either of them.

Ivan didn't think there would be any hope for him, even if they did save the world, and Ivan died. Of course, they'd known the risks… but… he never had imagined losing his partner, the other half of his soul. He gently patted Ivan Evza Podrov's face, willing him to stay with him, willing him back to consciousness. "You must stay, Ivan Evza. Help will be here soon. You have not hung that picture from your mother in the entryway."

"Ivan…" Ivan gasped, opening his eyes, gripping his hand tightly. "Hurts."

"I know, Drahá, I know." Pushing his fear away, Ivan murmured, "We will go to Krakow, see your mother, as soon as you are well."

"A trade off, yes?" Ivan laughed quietly, his breath nothing more than a wheeze. "You must really love me." They both knew how much Ivan hated to go see Ivan's mother.

"Yes, a trade." He sat in silence then, "I do love you, Ivan," Ivan assured him. Just then he heard the clatter of the emergency medical personnel and their shouts, hurrying to reach them. "They're here, Drahá, please, hold on."

"For you, and a visit to Krakow, yes," Ivan said weakly.

Before long, Ivan Podrov was being taken away in an ambulance, leaving Ivan Pedgrag standing there, his lover's blood on his clothes. 

He hurried up the stairs to the outside, blinking in the bright sunlight, looking for a ride to the hospital. He found a young American man topside, giving orders, and he rushed past him to commandeer someone's car. As he drove away, Ivan reminded himself to be calm, that Ivan would be all right, that he would survive and he would survive visiting his Beloved's mother. 

He drove to the hospital and was directed to a waiting area, where he sat numbly, waiting for the worst, hoping for the best.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, they called him. "You are Ivan Podrov's partner?" 

"Yes," he answered through numb lips, his heart barely beating in his fear.

"He will be fine. Weak for a while, but fine. We were able to –" 

Ivan stared at the woman, his legs trembling. Ivan would be all right. He never heard anything else she said. When her mouth stopped moving and she walked away, a kind nurse led him to a small room and gave him a cup of coffee and gently reminded him that his partner would be okay.

Six weeks later, he was in Krakow, sipping weak, lukewarm coffee and listening to Ivan's mother berate them about their wicked homosexuality. But he couldn't even find it in his heart to be angry about it like he usually was, because Ivan was alive.

Ivan was alive.

That's all that mattered. It wasn't even really a trade-off. He'd  **live**  with the old woman to keep Ivan at his side.


End file.
